Most of the companies who design and sell the products you buy aren’t paying to recycle them and actually design their products for disposal. State disposal bans do nothing to reduce the toxicity or total volume of waste.  Local recycling strategies are not enough to reduce the tons of waste disposed in California annually. California local governments spend over $100,000,000 a year collecting and properly managing household hazardous products alone.  It’s time to change that...

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Product Stewardship involves consumers, government agencies and product manufacturers sharing the responsibility of reducing the impact of product waste on our environment.  It is analysis and understanding of a product’s lifecycle and its long-term effect on our world.  Quite simply, recycling is only part of the solution. 

The California Product Stewardship Council believes that if we only concern ourselves with the disposal of the product, we miss significant opportunities to really work toward a sustainable future together.
And together is the key. Government agencies cannot manage the supply chain alone...                [Continue]

The Emergence of Regional and Local Product Stewardship Programs — John H. Skinner, Ph.D., Solid Waste Association of North America 8/5/2008

California's Ocean Protection Council (OPC) staff released a draft strategy July 31st to reduce and eliminate ocean litter by banning plastic bags and containers statewide . See Packaging.

CPSC Press Release: California Product Stewardship Council Celebrates First National Policy Supporting Framework for Sustainable Production

Product Policy Institute Press Release: First National Policy Supporting Framework for Sustainable Production Adopted by National Association of Counties

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Dozens of local governments have pledged their support to the CPSC Mission: 

To shift California’s product waste management system from one focused on government funded and ratepayer financed waste diversion
to one that relies on producer responsibility in order to reduce public costs and drive improvements in product design that promote environmental sustainability.

By partnering with producers, we focus on the part of the supply chain where products are designed and manufactured. We believe that by making better choices in the early stages of a product’s life, we can reduce the environmental impact of product waste.

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